The Maldives Third Way Democrats (MTD) has held their inaugural assembly on Monday night, with over 500 participants.
Party procedures, a party logo, and the party colours were passed at the assembly. Members to the MTD’s governing council were also elected on Monday night, members on the council are:
- Party founder and former chamber of commerce vice president Ismail Asif
- Velidhoo constituency MP Yameen Rasheed
- Aminath Vijna Mohamed
- Saaif ahmed
- Mohmed Reehaan
- Abdul Rasheed Nafiz
- Mariyam Siyana
- Nimthaz Hilmy
- Hoodh Abdul Haseeb
- Aneesa Hassan
- Mariyam Nashwa
The assembly, monitored by the Elections Commission, displayed heavy support for former vice president Ahmed Adeeb, with founder Asif describing him as a talented and skillful statesman, ‘who should be allowed to continue in politics’. Adeeb was the first person to sign for MTD.
MP Yameen, who recently left the opposition Progressive Party of Maldives to join the MTD, said that Adeeb had worked for the betterment of the nation, but was ‘forcibly removed from office and crushed’.
Yameen is referring to the ‘politically motivated’ charges against Adeeb, who was found guilty of a decades-long sentence, and reportedly prosecuted unfairly by former President Abdulla Yameen, whom the parliamentarian had supported keenly until joining the MTD.
Jumhooree Party aligned MP Abdul Latheef Mohamed, who represents the Dhidhdhoo constituency, had also praised Adeeb, who is accused of hefty involvement in embezzlement out of the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation.
MP Latheef said Adeeb had always assisted him, although he had never ‘gone to Adeeb seeking wealth, a lagoon, or an island, but always for a matter having to do with constituents of Dhidhdhoo’.
Photographs of Adeeb had been displayed throughout the assembly; the former vice president is currently under house arrest, having been transferred after over a year of attempting to seek leave on grounds of ill health.
